Medical fail safe releasible locks and/or seals for capped disposable centrifuge containers, cryogenic vials and the like

Abstract

Fail safe externally-applied releasible locks and internally-disposed seals for capped centrifuge containers, cryogenic vials and the like to insure closure integrity against specimen loss in whole or in part and contamination, the containers with cap being suitable for use in centrifuging, boiling and freezing of liquid specimens and during shipping.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is: 
     
       1. In combination: a container for receiving a biological sample to be processed by centrifuging, boiling, freezing and the like during laboratory testing and during shipping;   the container comprising a cylindrical wall closed at one end and open at the other end defining a hollow interior;   a compression fit threadless lid releasibly closable in respect to the container comprising a resilient male portion which projects through the open end into and forcibly engages the hollow interior of the container, when the lid is closed, and a flange portion superimposed, when the lid is closed, across the end of the container which is open when the lid is not closed;   seal means separate from the lid, the seal means compressively engaging the cylindrical wall at the container opening and the male portion of the lid.   
     
     
       2. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the separate seal means comprise an O-ring tri-compressed against the cylinder wall adjacent the container opening, the male portion of the lid and the flange portion of the lid. 
     
     
       3. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the separate seal means are distended under tension over and carried by the male portion exerting a compressive force of memory of the material from which the separate seal means are made upon the male portion. 
     
     
       4. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the male portion comprises a hollow skirt. 
     
     
       5. A combination according to claim 4 wherein the hollow skirt divergently tapers in a direction away from the flange portion. 
     
     
       6. A method of holding a capped liquid specimen container in a leak-free closed state during centrifuging, boiling, freezing and like processing in a specimen testing laboratory comprising the steps of: distending under tension endless separate seal means upon a divergently-shaped skirt means of a cap so that the seal means are held tightly in contiguous relation with flange and contiguously and compressively upon the skirt means of the cap by biased memory of the seal means when the cap is open;   manually closing the cap upon an opening in wall means of a specimen container causing the seal means to forceably be subjected to three-way compression contiguously against the wall means at the container opening, contiguously against the skirt means and contiguously against the flange means, said seal means thereby forming a continuous seal against specimen leakage from the container across the cap;   processing of the liquid specimen without specimen leakage.   
     
     
       7. A method of holding a capped liquid specimen container in a leak-free closed state during centrifuging, boiling, freezing and the like processing in a specimen testing laboratory comprising the steps of: manually closing the cap in force-fit relation upon an opening of a container causing separate seal means carried by the cap to be internally disposed within the container in force-fit compressively retained sealing relationship;   laterally manually forcing an externally-applied releasible lock of synthetic resinous material retainingly upon the closed cap and adjacent portion of the container with liquid specimen therein to hold the closed force-fit cap and the adjacent portion of the container together in sealed relation against loss of the liquid specimen through the container opening and across the cap during boiling, centrifuging, freezing and the like;   preserving the internal compressively retained sealed relationship and the laterally displaced externally-applied releasible lock respectively in their retaining condition during processing of the liquid specimens in the container;   manually removing the lock in a lateral direction and manually nonrotatably breaking the compressive relationship of the cap to open the container;   withdrawing part or all of the specimen from the container.   
     
     
       8. A method of holding a capped liquid specimen container in a leak-free closed state during centrifuging, boiling, freezing and the like processing in a specimen testing laboratory comprising the steps of: manually closing the cap upon an opening of a container causing means of the cap to be internally disposed within the container in compressively retained relationship;   laterally manually placing an externally-applied releasible horseshoe shaped lock of synthetic resinous material retainingly upon the closed cap and adjacent portion of the container with liquid specimen therein to hold the closed cap and the adjacent portion of the container together against loss of the liquid specimen through the container opening and across the cap during boiling, centrifuging, freezing and the like by laterally forcing the lock compressively across the closed cap and adjacent portion of the container until an audible snap is produced which signals a fail-safe engagement.   preserving the internal compressively retained relationship and the externally-applied releasible lock in their retaining condition during processing of the liquid specimens in the container;   selectively laterally manually removing the lock and manually breaking the compressive relationship of the cap to open the container;   withdrawing part or all of the specimen from the container.   
     
     
       9. In combination: a container for receiving a biological sample to be processed by centrifuging, boiling, freezing and the like during laboratory testing and during shipping;   the container comprising a cylindrical wall closed at one end and open at the other end defining a hollow interior;   a lid releasibly closable in respect to the container comprising a male portion which projects through the open end into and forcibly engages the hollow interior of the container, when the lid is closed, and a flange portion superimposed, when the lid is closed, across the end of the container which is open when the lid is not closed;   seal means separate from the lid, the seal means being located at and compressively engaging (a) the cylindrical wall at the container opening, (b) the male portion of the lid (c) the flange portion.